"Ugh..."
Natsu, his arms covered in crimson Dragon Scales, clutched his chest as he crashed heavily to the ground, gasping for breath.
"What's going on? I feel like I can't use my Magic Power..."
Gray's wrist emitted a faint pink glow as he gritted his teeth in agony, clutching his thigh.
"Me too... It feels like my Magic Power has vanished..."
Zancrow's body ignited with black flames.
Though his face was bruised and swollen, his demeanor remained arrogantly defiant as he laughed maniacally.
"You idiot fairies! Without the protection of the Tenrou Tree, you're suffering the backlash, hahahaha—!"
Natsu struggled to get up, but a Mage's body without Magic Power was incredibly weak.
He glared and roared.
"Dammit! Laxus will get our Magic Power back!"
Zancrow sneered weirdly. "That Makarov's grandson? With just him?!"
Having successfully subdued Capricorn, Loke used his wits and the Thunder God Tribe's coordination to safely eradicate Zoldeo from within his old friend's body.
Suddenly, he sensed something fundamentally wrong with his own Magic Power.
Freed weakly knelt on one knee, unable to hide his shock. "The Tenrou Tree is in trouble? How is that possible! Where is Laxus?!"
Loke supported the now-lucid Capricorn, who spoke in a grave tone.
"Azuma is an incredibly powerful Mage who can manipulate the Magic Power of any tree. If he takes control of the Tenrou Tree's Magic Power, even Lord Makarov would likely..."
"Impossible! That's Laxus we're talking about!" Evergreen instantly refuted his speculation.
Battles across the island were forcibly halted.
The previously arrogant Rustyrose unfortunately encountered Mirajane, who had no allies nearby to worry about protecting.
After maintaining an advantage for only a few short rounds, he was utterly defeated by Mirajane's relentless, demonic assault.
Mirajane gazed at the distant Tenrou Tree, pushing herself up to go support Laxus.
Erza intended to do the same, but seeing her sluggish, weakened pace, Ultear sighed quietly.
Ignoring Erza's stunned expression, Ultear hoisted the armored Mage onto her back, heading straight for the Tenrou Tree.
Cana's arm was shattered again by the recoil of her magic.
Under her companions' desperate cover, she charged a final Crash spell that shattered Kain Hikaru's defenses.
Just as their magic power vanished, several of them collapsed, unable to rise.
Meredy stared coldly at the incapacitated Juvia. "Give up. Even the Guild Master couldn't defeat Azuma, who now controls the immense magic power of the Tenrou Tree. Let alone Makarov's grandson."
Gajeel emerged victorious against the two Grimoire Heart executives who had injured Levy.
Though his breathing was ragged, his voice held unwavering determination.
"He's not just the Guild Master's grandson. He is Laxus."
...
"Strip away that title, and he's merely an ordinary S-Class Mage. How could he possibly overcome Azuma while he is empowered by Tenrou Island's magic?" Precht let out a cold laugh, then noticed Gildarts—who was completely suppressed and could only defend—and also took note of the seemingly unaffected Ankh.
Furrowing his brow, he asked, "Aren't you affected by the Tenrou Tree?"
Of course he was affected.
The Tenrou Tree possessed powerful yet gentle magic that connected the entire island, shielding mages bearing the Fairy Tail emblem and restoring their magic power and vitality.
But now that power was being manipulated, causing a severe backlash against all emblem bearers.
However, Ankh's body was entirely unique.
Currently, only his Titan Gravity magic required standard magic power to function—everything else, including his physical abilities, consumed Divine Power.
Yet even so, Ankh's movements had slowed slightly, allowing Precht to seize an opening for a brutal counterattack.
Dark waves slammed into Ankh, engulfing him in boundless darkness once more.
The rain intensified, falling so heavily that it blurred vision.
Ankh closed his eyes, slowly regulating his breathing, silently thinking.
'Don't make everyone worry about you...'
...
At the convergence of everyone's thoughts, beneath the colossal Tenrou Tree on Tenrou Island.
Laxus had long discarded his cloak, his muscular arms exposed to the elements.
Though fatigue showed clearly in his eyes, he stared intently at Azuma, who had merged with the Tenrou Tree in the distance.
Compared to the merely weary Laxus, Azuma's condition was far more dire.
Once a robust, dark-skinned man clad in nature-inspired green combat gear, now only tattered cloth fragments covered his body.
His powerful frame had become withered and charred, both arms severed at the shoulders with wounds cauterized by intense lightning.
He'd even lost an eye.
Had he not merged with the Tenrou Tree and drawn upon its vast magic power to sustain himself, he would have died long ago.
"It is an honor to battle a warrior like you," Azuma declared.
His face still burned with excitement despite his devastating injuries, offering his respect without reservation.
Laxus glared at Azuma, roaring, "Enough nonsense! Get out here now! Stop hiding inside the Tenrou Tree!"
The battle between Laxus and Azuma had begun with overwhelming momentum.
Even with the aid of the Tenrou Tree's Magic Power, Azuma was thoroughly beaten down by Laxus.
However, Azuma's continuous draining of the Tenrou Tree's Magic Power had plunged the island's members into dire straits, undoubtedly heightening Laxus's urgency.
With the guy hiding safely inside the tree, Laxus couldn't just blow up the entire Tenrou Tree along with him.
"Worry not, Laxus. This is the final strike."
Azuma's face emerged from the bark of the Tenrou Tree, his voice filled with the resolve of one prepared to die.
"After this move, whether I win or lose, I will return the Tenrou Tree's Magic Power to its rightful place."
Azuma, whose very soul was etched with a thirst for combat and who revered and respected the strong, emerged fully from the Tenrou Tree.
His fanatical eyes fixed on Laxus below, and he rasped hoarsely.
"Laxus, you and I are the same! Constantly challenging the strong, seizing power—that is our path to becoming stronger!"
"Take this, Laxus! The entire Magic Power of Tenrou Island is my ultimate technique!"
As Azuma's voice rose in a desperate shout, the intensely concentrated radiance grew ever more dazzling.
Countless magical particles converged, and the formless Magic Power solidified into substance, surging directly toward Laxus.
Watching this destructive Magic Power capable of submerging the entire island, Laxus furrowed his brow tightly, yet his heart remained utterly calm.
"You simply don't understand. I am no longer that kind of person."
The Magic Power of the entire Tenrou Island engulfed Laxus like a tidal wave.
Submerged in the destructive, immeasurable flow of Magic Power, the excruciating pain that initially made him wish for death gradually began to diminish.
Within the Magic Power tsunami Azuma had unleashed with his life on the line, a glint of golden light suddenly flashed, then rapidly spread out, forming a massive electrical network.
The unrestrained, majestic golden lightning seemed to command the Tenrou Island's Magic Power itself, instantly dyeing the magical tsunami a brilliant gold, coiling around Laxus like a soaring dragon.
Azuma's eyes widened in shock and disbelief as he murmured, "The Tenrou Island's Magic Power... is helping him?"
"This isn't your power. It's mine—the power given to me by my proud family."
Laxus, enveloped in the golden lightning of Magic Power he had made his own, stood solemn and majestic like a deity, looking down upon Azuma as he declared.
"What do you think I carry on my shoulders to fight you here? Sparring with the strong? Don't make me laugh!"
"My comrades' lives are entrusted to me. Right now, all I want is to destroy the enemy threatening my family!"
Laxus slammed his fists together.
The golden lightning surrounding him shot straight into the sky as he roared.
"Dragon Slayer's Secret Art!"
"NARUMI KAZUCHI"
---------
Read 40 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator